Zhinong Real Scene Inspires Academic Planning, Building Dreams for the International Agricultural Science Program at Minshi College

This article is adapted from: People’s Daily—Guangxi Channel

To deepen industry-education integration and broaden international students’ hands-on practice horizons, on April 1, under the leadership of Vice President Nong Xiuli of Guangxi Minzu Normal University, a team of PhD researchers and faculty from the university’s School of International Education and School of Agriculture and Biotechnology, together with 96 international students from ASEAN and African countries, traveled to Longzhou County of Chongzuo City. They visited Guangxi Junbaoyan Food Co., Ltd., under which “Mao Qiansui” Food Sales Co., Ltd. operates, and carried out on-site inspection and learning activities.

That day, the teachers and students went deep into the “Mao Qiansui” organic tremella whole-industry-chain base. Guided by the company’s technical staff, they sequentially toured the mushroom strain cultivation room, the intelligent planting workshops, the deep processing production workshop, and the product display center. From the scientific cultivation of tremella strains, to the automated, precise control of intelligent greenhouses, to the one-hour freshness lock after harvesting and high-temperature sterilization, and then to the fully automatic canning and packaging process for more than 40 products such as freeze-dried tremella soup and fresh tremella concentrate, the international students listened attentively throughout, observed carefully, and actively asked questions, fully witnessing the high-tech transformation of a small tremella from the field to the dining table.

Group photo for keepsake. Photo by Song Langting

The company’s advanced smart agriculture facilities, standardized whole-industry-chain operations, and a rigorous organic food quality management system left a deep impression on the students. Everyone took out their phones to record the impressive scenes of intelligent cultivation and automated production, and from time to time they exchanged ideas and discussed with the teachers accompanying them from the company.

In the visit, Nong Xiuli pointed out that this practice activity is an important part of the university’s international agronomy special program’s “theory + practice” talent cultivation model. By going into leading agricultural enterprises, the international students can perceive the development context of China’s modern agriculture in real industrial scenarios, and intuitively understand the core implications of smart agriculture, facility agriculture, and intensive processing of agricultural products. This not only effectively stimulates students’ enthusiasm for professional study and clarifies their academic planning, but also builds a talent bridge between the university, enterprises, and international markets—thereby contributing efforts to promote agricultural cooperation and exchange between China and ASEAN and African countries. The PhD team from the university’s School of Agriculture and Biotechnology said that this visit provides vivid case studies for classroom teaching. The company’s technological innovation and industrial practice will effectively support the development of professional courses and talent cultivation, helping international students better master core skills in modern agriculture. Huang Changyun, responsible for the Mao Qiansui brand enterprise, expressed his willingness to carry out in-depth cooperation in areas such as cultivating international talent and expanding overseas markets.

This on-site smart agriculture research and learning activity not only allowed international students to truly experience the vigorous vitality of China’s modern agriculture, but also further deepened Guangxi Minzu Normal University’s educational philosophy of “industry-education integration and international collaboration.” In the future, the school will continue to expand high-quality practice bases, carry out more diverse on-site teaching and university-enterprise cooperation activities, help international students in the international agronomy special program realize their dreams and move forward, and cultivate more international talents who know China well, are friendly toward China, and are proficient in agricultural technologies—building a solid bridge to serve the “Belt and Road” agricultural cooperation and help local enterprises develop international markets. (Yang Lili)